


Well Matched

by lies_d



Category: Sorcerer's Apprentice (2010)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-23
Updated: 2013-12-23
Packaged: 2018-01-05 17:28:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,051
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1096572
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lies_d/pseuds/lies_d
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dave reluctantly helps Drake break the parasite spell Horvath cast on him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Well Matched

**Author's Note:**

  * For [finesharp](https://archiveofourown.org/users/finesharp/gifts).



It took weeks of pestering.

  
"Sure I'm a Morganian and we're technically enemies, but does anything I do actually hurt people? I'm an entertainer. I make people happy - give 'em a bit of a thrill. What's the harm in that?"

Drake found him after his classes, followed him to his lab, even showed up outside his apartment first thing in the morning with a cup of coffee. Dave noticed that Drake never bothered him when Balthazar was in the vicinity. He knew, as Drake probably did as well, exactly how coldly and soundly he'd shut Drake down.

"Don't you have, you know, some other Morganian friends who can help you?" Dave asked him.

Drake waved his hand with a dismissive pfft. "Morganian and friends don't much belong in the same sentence. I've got a few allies yeah, but none who would lift a finger against Maxim Horvath. Come on now, I've survived on magic for ten years now, can you imagine what it's like to live without it?"

Dave could imagine, and did. He'd only really had magic in his life for a few months now, but he knew how much it would hurt to have it ripped away, to be deposited back into normal-land.

At one point Drake even started summoned a tear to his eye while trying to convince Dave of his sincerity, and despite his misgivings Dave slowly found himself being convinced.

Dave knew he shouldn't trust Drake, but he couldn't help but sympathize. It was like watching himself stick out his hand for a handshake at the end of a date instead of going in for a kiss. What the hell is wrong with you, Stutler? He often thought to himself while doing exactly the dumbest thing he could possibly do.

"And hey, there's one magic trick I can still pull off," offered Drake. "If you've got some bills to pay, maybe some student loans. A penthouse suite is nothing to me - I can make your money troubles disappear."

In the end, Dave caved at the mention of money. He might be the prime Merlinian, but he was still only human. Not only did he have student loans and rent in New York city to worry about, there were Tank's vet bills to contend with - at least until he figured out how to cure doggie arthritis with magic.

And there was one deciding reason that Drake didn't think of - that Dave would much rather see Drake's ring (and his power) in Drake's hands than with Horvath.

So there were reasons. Still, Dave found himself neglecting to tell Balthazar. He figured that as the prime Merlinian, he would need to learn how to deal with Morganians on his own someday. This was a start.

~****~

They met every other afternoon in Dave's lab. If Drake thought they were going to go on some kind of wizard-hunting adventure, he would soon find himself disappointed. Dave had had enough of chasing and duelling for the moment. He had a few ideas he wanted to try first.

In his initial training, there hadn't been enough time for Balthazar to really get down to the whys and hows of magic - he'd been too busy showing him what needed to be done. Now they had more time, and Dave found himself immensely enjoying learning about the theoretical framework of all the spells he'd been able to cast. It was like applied physics on speed. And the more he learned, the less afraid he was to try spells on his own.

"If magic is energy, and Horvath is draining yours, then he must have created a link between you. Theoretically, we could use that link."

"And track down my ring, brilliant!"

"Or retrieve it. Or, I guess we could sever the link and get you a new ring."

Drake made a face. "That would be a lot of trouble. If you've got any other ideas, we should definitely try those first."

So try they did.

Over the weeks that followed, Dave and Drake got to know each other a bit better while Dave tried out some of the spells in his incantus. Drake was surprisingly easy to get along with. Sure, he came off as a little vain and pretentious, but he was genuinely enthusiastic when it came to talking about magic, and he seemed just as glad as Dave was to have someone to talk about it with. It also helped that they shared a deep love of Star Wars.

~****~

Once they'd exhausted every useful-looking avenue in Dave's incantus, with Drake's permission Dave got to look through the Morganian version of the incantus. It was, in a word, fascinating. It contained many of the same spells as his own, but described different techniques and underlying philosophies.

Dave thought it would be incredibly illuminating to study the two texts side by side, but he soon became aware that they really didn't have all the time in the world.

It was about six months after the whole Morgana incident, six months after the parasite spell had been cast, that Drake started looking noticeably worse for wear.

"Are you...sick or something?" Dave asked him when he came in one evening.

"No. I'm fine," Drake replied, uncharacteristically quiet and short-tempered.

"You didn't cast some kind of anti-aging spell did you? Because if you did it's unravelling," Dave commented towards the end of the night.

Drake's hair was starting to go grey at the temples, and fine lines had appeared around his eyes and mouth. He looked at least fifteen years older.

Dave gestured towards the mirror over the sink. "You should check that out."

"I know. I've seen it in my own mirror thanks." Drake turned up the collar of his coat and slunk towards the door. "I'll see you on Tuesday, though frankly I don't know why I bother anymore," he muttered as he slammed the door shut behind him.

Usually Drake spent at least a half an hour preening in front of that mirror. Dave hadn't really been worried about the outcome of this little 'experiment', but he was starting to worry now.

On Tuesday, Drake never did arrive.

~****~

Dave found Drake asleep in his penthouse apartment. He didn't even have to knock on the door - it was still broken and lying on its side.

"Drake? Get up - I've got a plan," Dave announced as he drew back the curtains.

Drake winced at the light. Dave winced harder - he looked at least sixty years old.

~****~

"Are you mad?"

"Honestly, sometimes, I'm not so sure."

Drake stared open-mouthed at the deep-grooved marks that Dave had made on the floor.

"That's..."

"A Morganian circle. I copied it from your incantus."

"And it's inside..."

"A Merlinian circle. Yep." Dave bobbed his head, trying to sound confident and hoping Drake didn't turn on a heel and run out the door.

"So we haven't had any luck severing the link between you and Horvath, but if we sever the link between you and your ring, even temporarily, it should break the spell."

Drake stepped closer to look the open page in the Morganian incantus, floating in front of Dave. "And that's the spell you want to use?"

Dave bobbed his head again, his mouth suddenly too dry to answer.

The spell in question would temporarily cut Drake off from the source of magic, for a sorcerer the source of life itself. Essentially it was a death spell.

"And the other spell is, well, kind of a healing spell from my incantus. It binds your life to mine, so that you won't die."

"Or we'll both die."

"Or that, yeah."

Drake looked him in the eye. Dave couldn't quite read what he saw there.

"Alright. Let's do it."

~****~

Dave took a deep breath.

There was a reason sorcerers usually chose to use traps or other kinds of tricks when facing each other. What could easily be accomplished with a knife or a gun was actually really hard to do purely with magic. Death spells - the snuffing of life - were some of the most complicated spells in existence.

First Dave established the connection. Drew in magic through the soles of his feet.

Then he wrapped his energy around Drake, binding them together. It was a strange sensation. Suddenly he could feel what Drake was feeling - the fear, the fragile trust, the same excitement he always felt when doing magic. It didn't bother him nearly as much as he thought it would, to be in someone else's head. They were well matched, and right now they were both attuned to the same goal.

The next part was more complicated. Over an hour went by while Dave recited the spell with Drake, arranging energy within the circle like an invisible cat's cradle.

Towards the end it became difficult to breathe. Dave could feel his heartbeat slow, his warmth cool, the magic stop singing in his veins. It was only happening to Drake, but he could feel it. It was terrifying.

Dave only had enough breath to force out the last word of the death spell. His vision started to swim.  
Drake crumpled to the floor.

One, two, three heartbeats later, Dave felt a snap as the connection between Drake and his ring was severed.  
With a wave of his hand, Dave blew out the candles of the Morganian circle. Outside of it, the lights of the Merlinian circle shone brighter.

Drake gasped as he came back to life. He pushed himself up to his knees as Dave sank down to his and they leaned against each other while they both caught their breath.

~****~

A few hours later Dave woke up naked on the floor of his lab. Drake was curled on his side next to him, one arm slung over Dave's chest, also naked, unless you counted the jewellery.

Dave opened his mouth. A high squeaky noise came out.

At this, Drake woke up as well. One eyebrow arched up at the initial sight of Dave, and an amused smile appeared on his face in reaction to Dave's shock.

"What... just happened?" Dave asked once he was back in control of his speech.

"Blowback from the excess energy," explained Drake.

Dave had noticed that sometimes after spellcasting he felt a little... more energetic. Usually it didn't last long. Usually the only one around was Balthazar, and though he would admit having some confusing feelings about his master in those moments, they'd never culminated in anything like this.

Dave pushed himself up to a sitting position. He shook his head. "I've... got a girlfriend." _Oh god, what was he going to tell Becky?_ "This has never happened before." He'd never done anything like that with another guy before. _Oh god._ Dave blushed as he thought of some of the things they'd just done.

"Don't worry about it. It happens sometimes." Drake shrugged as though it were nothing, then got to his feet and stretched. His body had been restored, and his magic as well, though he wouldn't be able to use it until he forged another amulet to focus his power.

"I've heard it happens when two spellcasters are compatible, or something," Drake explained further.

Drake flashed Dave a saucy smile as he started to pull on his clothes, which were ripped. Dave had vivid memories of ripping them off. _Oh my god, did that really happen?_ Dave brought his hands up to cover his face as more memories surfaced.

He remembered the taste of Drake's mouth when they kissed. He remembered kneeling in front of Drake. He remembered liking that taste too.

"Oh no, not the ritual oil," Dave moaned when he saw the empty vial lying nearby. It was expensive stuff, and he'd spilled most of it when he pushed Drake down to his stomach on the floor...

"Well, thanks for helping and all. It's been fun," said Drake as he sauntered towards the door. "Toodle-oo."

The door fell shut behind Drake.

_Toodle-oo?_ Dave mouthed, and couldn't help feeling a little used.  

Drake never did pay him the money he'd promised, and all around the whole exercise was a pretty dumb thing to do on Dave's part. He never did tell Balthazar about it, or Becky, or anyone else for that matter. Still, whenever he thought about it, he never did regret it.


End file.
